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Making Data Discs Using DirectCD
Copying Files to a CD-RW Disc for the First Time
Before you can copy files to a CD-RW disc, you must format it.
You can also format the CD to erase its data. Using Quick Format for
this purpose only deletes the internal directory where the files are
listed. You can no longer see or access the files, but the files are still
stored on the CD.
To format or erase a CD-RW disc:
1 Insert a blank CD-RW disc into your CD-Recorder.
2 From the Select CD drop-down list box on the DirectCD main
window, select the CD-Recorder you want.
3 Click Format CD. The Format dialog box appears.
4 In the Label text box, type a name to identify your CD.
The CD label can be up to 11 characters. You cannot use the
following characters in a label: \ / : ; * ? " < > | + = . , [ ].
5 If you want to enable data compression on the CD, select the
Enable Compression option.
Compression makes your files take up less space on the CD.
Once a CD has been formatted using compression, all data will
be compressed on the CD. The compression ratio varies from
approximately 1.5:1 to approximately 3:1, depending on the
type of files you copy to the CD.
To read the CD, you must either have DirectCD 5.0 installed or
have the UDF Reader installed. When you make a CD using
DirectCD, it automatically copies the UDF Reader for
Windows to the CD. When you insert the CD in a CD-
Recorder, the reader will automatically ask if you want to
install it. To write to the CD using other CD-Recorders in other
computers, you must use DirectCD 5.0.
6 Select the Format Type you want to use.
If you are formatting a blank CD-RW disc, you may have these
options:
■ Fast Format: Fast format is a special type of formatting
supported only on some CD-RW drives. The option is
available only if your drive supports it. Fast format allows
you to start using the CD in 3 to 7 minutes, while the